Microsoft to sell mobile games in Xbox App on Android

Microsoft is taking another step towards mobile games with plans to sell titles within its Xbox App on Android later this year.

The news came via a social media post from Xbox president Sarah Bond, who said players will be able to both purchase and play games directly from the app. There were no further details on which titles will be available, but the introduction of game sales will be “starting in November.”

It’s also unclear if this is related to Microsoft’s plans to launch its own mobile app store. The marketplace was originally planned to launch this summer, starting with first-party titles such as Candy Crush and Minecraft.

Microsoft’s mobile store is likely to be something separate from the Xbox app, and potentially of a larger scale, given that Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer said in December that the store was being developed with unnamed partners.

Bond linked the introduction of game sales to the Xbox app with the recent US court ruling to open up Google Play to rival app stores. We spoke to experts who said these changes will have minimal impact on the dynamics of the mobile market.